Regulating attachment for corn-planters



(No Model.)

W. M. ROBINSON.

REGULATING ATTACHMENT FOR CORN PLANTERS.

Patented Feb. 28, 1888.

WITNESSES. 1 IJV EJV TOR C W I :6

. Nrrnn PATENT WELLER M. ROBINSON, OF MONTPELIER, IOWVA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 878,724, dated February 28, 1888.

Application filed September 17, 1887. Serial No. 249,935. No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LW'ELLER M. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Montpelier, in the county of Muscatine and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Regulating Attachments for Corn-Planters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and we act description of the invention, which willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification,and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my new and improved regulating attachment for cornplanters, showing the same secured in oper ative position to a corn-planter of the ordinary construction, only so much of the frame of the planter being shown as is necessary to illustrate the position in which the device is to be attached. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a somewhat different form of my invention embodying the same principles, and Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion of the crank-shaft shown in Fig. 1.

The same numerals of refercnceindicate corresponding parts in'all the figures.

My invention consistsin a new and improved regulating attachment for corn-planters, which will be hereinafter fully described.

Referring to the several parts by their designating numerals, 1 indicates the frame of a corn-planter of the usual construction, of which 2 2 indicate the runners, 3 the drivers seat, and at the transverse beam on which the seedboxes (not shown in the drawings) are secured.

5 indicates the crank-shaftof my attachment, 011 the downwardly-bent cranked ends of which are mounted the broad supporting-wheels 6 6. This crank-shaft 5 is made fast to the planter by means of the eyebolts 7 7, which are an ranged on the shaft near its cranked ends, and the stems of the eyebolts are secured in the transverse beam 4 of the p1anter-frame, so that the supportingwheels 6 6 are a little back of and between the runners 2 2. The crank-shaft may be prevented from slipping in the eyes of the bolts by forming it with two annular grooves, 8 8, in which the said eyes can fit, so that while the shaft will turn freely in the eyes it cannot slide laterally. These annular grooves can of course be dispensed with, if preferred. Upon the crank-shaft is rigidly attached the arm 9, which is attached so that when in its normal position it will stand up in a nearly-vertical position. This arm is secured to the crank-shaft at such a point as to correspond with the longitudinal beam of theplanter-frame, to which the operating-lever is se cured, so that the lever will be directly behind the said arm. On different forms of planters the arm can be put on the crank-shaft in different places, being attached in the middle or near either end, according to where the lever must be placed to be convenient to the driver.

10 indicates the operating or adjusting lever, which is pivoted near its lower end to the planterframe, so as to be within eonvenieht reach of the driver when sitting in his seat. The lower end of this lever below its pivotal point is pivotally connected by a rod, 1l,with the upper free end of the arm 9, as shown. This rod 10 can be made longer or shorter to suit the different styles of planters. To the side of the leveris secured the spring catch or detent 12, of the usual construction, which is adapted to engage with the perforations of a curved rack, 13, by which arrangement thelever is secured in its adjusted position.

The planter will drop the corn and cover it in low places and deadfurrows as well and precisely the same as it will on level ground, and it will do the same on ridges and back furrows, 85c. \Vhen the wheels of the attachment strike higher ground, they raise the runners automatically, and when they come to a low place or ditch the runners drop down, thereby putting the corn always at the same level, where it should go, no matter what the character of the ground may be. The depth to which the corn is to beplanted can be readily regulated by means of the lever, as by pressing forward the upper or handle end of the lever the wheels of the crank-shaft will be lowered and the front end of the planter and runners will be raised, while by drawing back the lever the said wheels will be raised and the runners lowered, as will be readily seen by reference to the accompanying drawings.

The attachment takes all'or nearly all the weight off the horses necks, which without the attachment would be very heavy, especially if a heavy person were driving the planter. The attachment will work as well 5 with check-rowers as without. As the wheels of the attachment carry the weight of the droppers and the runners,or,in fact,the whole front part of the planter, the draft is a great number of pounds lighter, as this weight rolls instead of dragging. The wheels of the attachment cover a great deal of corn that would not be covered if the attachment were not used.

\Vhen this attachment is applied to a plant er, any other device which may have been used 011 the planter to regulate the depth should of course be removed.

In Fig. 2 I. have shown a slightly-different form ofmyinvention, embodying, however, the same principle. In this form slotted bearingblocks 15 15 are secured to the beam 4. in the same position as the eyebolts 7 7 of the first form, and in these bearings are centrally pivoted the bent standards 16' 16, on pins on the lower ends of which the wheels 6 6 are mounted. A rod, 17, is supported in eyebolts 18 18 transverselyjust in front of the drivers seat, and to one end of this rod the lower end of the lever 10 is rigidly secured, while the other end ofthis rod is bent up at right angles, and the upper end of this bent end 19 of the rod, and also the lever itself above its pivotal point, are both connected to the upper ends of the standards 16 16 by the rods 20 20, as shown. It will be seen that this form of the 5 attachment will operate in precisely the same bolts, connecting-rods pivoted to the crank 5 manner as that shown in Fig. 1, the supporting-wheels G 6 being raised or lowered by moving the lever,which is provided with the same spring-catch and perforated rack.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of my invention will be readily understood.

It will be seen that my new and improved attachment is simple and strong in construction and exceedingly efficient inits operation. It can be readily applied to any form of planter, and will give entire satisfaction in all cases.

Having thus described myinvention, whatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

A regulating attachment for corn-planters, consisting of a crank rock-shaft secured to the rear cross-beam of the planter-frame byeyeends of said shaft, slotted bearing-blocks secured to the forward cross-beam of the planter, standards pivoted to said bearing-blocks and pivoted at their upper ends to the ends of the connecting-rods, the lower ends of said standards formed with stub-axles, wheels mounted on said axles, and a pivoted lever having the springcatch and the curved rack.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

'WELLER M. ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

Jiis. G. CRANE, AUGUST ROLFF. 

